Well, having survived another St David’s Day weekend (a bit like St Patrick’s Day, but us Welsh tend to be much quieter when we’re drunk), I was faced with the unenviable task of either finishing off ‘Nosebleed’ (which will remain as a work in progress for now; methinks I’ve created a monster there), or kicking my brain into gear and coming up with something original.
So, after staring at this little white input box for ages (whilst consuming two cups of strong, black coffee) I thought I’d fill you in on some of what I’ve been watching this month. I know, it’s probably not the most earth-shattering blog posting you’ll ever read, but it gives me something to do, and who knows… you might see something you’ll like.
GAMBLING APOCALYPSE KAIJI (last episode seen: #20)
Wow… and wow again. As much as this series has grabbed me with its combination of psychological drama and downright sadism (just how much can you kick a man when he’s down?), nothing could have prepared me for the punch in this episode. We’ve watched Kaiji and the rag-tag band of losers be put through the wringer time and time again by the Yakuza, the stakes being raised at each step. Now, with millions of yen and Kaiji’s sense of hearing on the line, how much further could the producers tweak this tale? Amazingly, they managed to turn the screws even tighter. Although the realisation that the Yakuza were cheating (duh!) was a bit of a letdown, the plot took a very unexpected, and jaw-dropping, twist. Just how far can you push somebody who’s got nothing to lose? We found out in this episode. It’ll be interesting to see how the last few episodes pan out – it’s going to be hard to maintain this kind of intensity methinks. Still my show of 2008 so far.
SHION NO OU (last episode seen: #17)
Most people would probably think that watching an anime about people playing shougi (Japanese chess to the uninitiated) would probably be about as interesting as watching paint dry. While chewing tin foil. In this case, however, they’d be wrong. Although most of the episodes do contain some shougi, the producers are able to carry across the tension, the thought processes and emotions of the players brilliantly. Even more so now, at this stage in the series, where the tournament is reaching its final stages. Oh, but don’t forget that this is first and foremost a pretty decent murder mystery, that just happens to revolve around young, talented – and in some cases, poisonous – shougi players. Much as the pieces are being shifted around on the board, the players in this tale are starting to move into position as we head for the climax. The artwork is disappointing, which doesn’t really detract from what is a very watchable series.
BAMBOO BLADE (last episode seen: #20)
Another of the more fun series out there, detailing the antics of the slightly (ok, very, in Miyamiya’s case) deranged members of a school kendo club and their down-and-out sensei, who sees them (literally) as his meal ticket. It’s funny, without being silly; cute, but not sickeningly so and doesn’t quite conform to the usual clichés. Yes, there are boys and girls in the club, but they’re more interested in clobbering each other with bamboo swords than dating. Even the child prodigy, Tama-chan, appears to be more of a closet otaku than a blade wielding Amazon. For once, we take a break from the dojo, as Tama meets her anime hero in the… er… flesh…
MNEMOSYNE (last episode seen: #1)
Phew! If ever there was an anime series that came with a label that says “Not for kids!” it’s probably this one. Although this opening episode has raised more questions than anything else really (an immortal private detective? who can see a giant tree and shiny, floaty things? I shall call it Squishy and it shall be my friend…), it certainly doesn’t leave you guessing what it has in store for you. It opens with a rather nasty murder, some serious vodka drinking, another murder, a little yuri action, before we meet someone who might just become one of anime’s great villains (and I hope we haven’t seen the last of her) and a rather gruesome torture scene… most of which is left to the imagination, thank goodness. This certainly is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea, what with the sexual undertones and violence, but with its dark and gritty artwork, a very decent cast and seeming willingness to push the envelope a bit, this could develop into an interesting series over the next 5 months. Or it could degenerate into a mindless bloodbath… we hope not.
BARTENDER & ARIA: THE ORIGINATION (last episodes seen: #6 & #7)
And as if to prove just how schizophrenic my anime tastes are, we swing to the opposite end of the spectrum for two of the gentler, calmer, slice of life shows. Both are visually stunning and whilst the actual storylines have nothing in common, they do both fall under the little-known sub-genre of ‘healing anime’ (iyashikei). As the name suggests, they offer a chance to unwind and relax after a stressful day, either within the dark, cosy confines of a bar – the kind where you just know the barman is going to serve you exactly what you need, whilst he listens to your problems, or just losing yourself in the beauty of Venice, in company of a pretty gondolier, on… er… Mars… You can probably count the number of shows falling into this genre on one hand, so treasure them if you find them (must remind myself to blog them one quiet day).
SHIGOFUMI (last episode seen: #8)
This is turning into another of those strange shows where a far darker under-current suddenly appears, in what is already a fairly dark theme. Based around the premise that the dead can send a final letter to somebody they left behind on earth, it’s already dealt with some fairly heavy material, like abuse, school bullying and teen suicide, but in a cool, almost distant manner. Now as we start to learn the backstory of Fumika, the ‘post’ girl central to the story, the truth is no less shocking. Not quite as good as Hell Girl (Jigoku Shoujo), but certainly deserves to be bracketed with it.
